HEALTHCARE: A plea for answers

It amazes me to no end how mostly conservatives and some liberals rant and rave about the Affordable Health Care Act, but no one seems to give a solution to the problem of health care in America.

Young people don’t care because they believe they’ll never need it. Middle age (especially the unmarried with no children) couldn’t care less because “someone” will pay for it. The elderly (mostly the rich) are not concerned because they can afford it, and of course if you’re on Medicare you’ve already paid for part of it.

The people who seem to get hurt the worst are those who feel responsible for paying their debts, and even the Medicare recipients who pay their Part B and also pay the premiums for supplemental insurance. Those premiums continue to get larger and larger, and if you pay attention to the bills that are being charged to Medicare, etc., it will scare you because it’s only because the people who don’t pay is the exact reason the medical profession justifies the amounts they charge.

Recently a visit to the “inpatient” clinic at a hospital lasting no more than 10 minutes was $1,500 which was billed to Medicare and my supplemental insurance. Their reasoning is that all hospitals charge the same, and naturally because some people would rather go to the “emergency” room and let someone else pay the tab.

Just tell me please! What is the answer?

PAUL S. UNDERWOOD

ANNIE M. UNDERWOOD

St. Maries